Mark Cuban may very well find himself in serious need of some reputation management very shortly. Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly discussed the soon to be distributed Loose Change, a film about the supposed 9/11 government conspiracy. Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is going to distribute it and Charlie Sheen has said he will do the narration.
Jennifer Engle (a.k.a. “The Little Ball of Hate”) asked the people on Dallas’ local ESPN radio station whether Cuban’s involvement with this conspiratorial film will adversely affect the national public’s perception of the Dallas Mavericks. Callers of varying opinions spoke up, but none of them covered the issue sufficiently.
Cuban may or may not reap a whirlwind of negative press. Truthfully, with today’s popular opinion swaying the way it does, I doubt he will face much in the way of losses either financially or reputationally. It is possible, just not probable. What is more likely to happen is that Mister Cuban has just given the national press something to talk about instead of his Dallas Mavericks. Look for the national spotlight to consistently sweep in his direction and steal the Mavericks’ thunder.
That’s the real travesty here. The Dallas Mavericks have put together one of the most incredible seasons of basketball history, and as we approach the playoffs, their owner lacks the foresight to even wait to discuss this film until the season is over. If the Dallas Mavericks lose the spotlight to their owner, they have no one to blame but him.
On the political side, I disagree with the O’Reilly and his guests when they say it is unpatriotic to make a film like Loose Change. Regardless of its content, the people have the right to voice their opinions and beliefs. This film does not make them less patriotic. Of course, I have no idea what happened on 9/11 and at this point I choose to believe that there was no foul play on our government’s end.
Mark Cuban’s argument is that every American should watch the film and make their own decision. He says that ignorance and rumor are sometimes more dangerous than direct exposure. So he may be hoping to diffuse the subject, but he’s really opening a can of worms. What’s to stop every money hungry conspiracy theorist from making films in hopes of getting Cuban’s distribution power? This situation tells us that you might profit via Mark Cuban if your film is conspiratorial enough. His diffusing may very well encourage more people to take advantage of him. That is, of course, if he really is distributing this film for the reason he’s said.
Today’s Lesson: Be aware of the possible repercussions of your public statements and actions. Make wise decisions, because the best strategy for PR and ORM is to behave and conduct your business in such a way that you will always be proud.
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